Grand Luo and Grand Unity: Rewriting the Chessboard

Zheng Fa couldn't help but look out of the Stargazing Platform.

A great sun hangs in the distance amidst the Chaos, its golden rays surging wildly in the darkness, as if silently protesting its injustice.

No wonder the people of Vast Sun Mountain had bloodshot eyes when they saw the Fusang Wood.

No wonder I had such a strange feeling at the entrance to the Nine Luminaries Heaven.

Consider also the special status of the sun in the legends of various countries Modern World.

Even the Solar System, humanity's home, might be related to the sword strike of Venerable Tianhe.

Zheng Fa suddenly realized a big problem, turned to look at Venerable Tianhe with a nervous expression. "So Lu Mo Jade Pendant?"

This is absolutely terrible.

If the Jade Pendant is of Lu Mo, that could be a real problem.

The Fusang Wood is already a potential problem.

If the Jade Pendant is still connected to Lu Mo, then the possibility of being exposed in the Modern World is too high, and it may even be that we are already unsafe.

"No."

The Venerable Tianhe's answer made Zheng Fa even more confused, feeling that his mind was even Chaos than the surrounding Chaos.

"The Jade Pendant is not a treasure of the celestial realm; I have already shattered those treasures," Venerable Tianhe explained. "Only in this way can the Spiritual Qi be severed."

That makes sense.

For example, in the Nine Mountains Realm, the Sun-Moon Bell is the source of all Spiritual Qi.

"That Jade Pendant is..."

"The Jade Pendant is to conceal that world," Venerable Tianhe pointed to the stars in the sky, "So that these people cannot see it."

Zheng Fa nodded slightly, then asked again:

"Where did that Jade Pendant come from? And how did it end up in my hands?"

This was Zheng Fa's deepest doubt and greatest worry—was he a pawn?

"I don't know." Venerable Tianhe's face showed composure. "I obtained this Jade Pendant by chance, and as for who will end up with it, I have no idea."

"I have no idea whether the person who comes can take up the mantle of my Tianhe Dao Lineage."

That's why Venerable Tianhe said he wanted to sever the Xuanwei Spiritual Qi?

Is this venerable one also gambling?

"Accidental?"

It wasn't a conspiracy theory about Zheng Fa, but since it concerned his own safety, he couldn't help but think it over carefully.

Moreover, this Jade Pendant is by no means an ordinary treasure. In Zheng Fa's opinion, it is at least a treasure of the Loose Immortal level, no, even a treasure of the Loose Immortal level.

Who would litter it everywhere?

"I also think it's too much of a coincidence." Venerable Tianhe nodded. "I obtained this Jade Pendant after I wiped out a small sect back then... Logically speaking, that sect shouldn't have such a foundation."

Zheng Fa frowned, and then heard Venerable Tianhe say:

Actually, I suspect someone.

"Who?"

"Yin-Yang Fish, who else comes to mind?"

Zheng Fa felt as if he had been hit on the head with a hammer, his head buzzing. He steadied himself by holding onto the railing beside him and looking down at Xuanwei.

His voice was a little hoarse as he asked, "Dao Venerable?"

There are only a handful of people in this world who can outmaneuver me.

Venerable Tianhe's smile was somewhat cold, as if he harbored some resentment.

Zheng Fa understood perfectly. He had previously worried that he was a pawn of this Venerable One, which made him feel uneasy and even resentful.

Not to mention Venerable Tianhe's personality.

He originally thought that Lu Mo was the biggest mastermind behind the scenes during these past few eras of Xuanwei.

Who would have thought that the Dao Venerable was also secretly making moves?

Thinking about it this way, perhaps the Venerable Tianhe's sword strike was all part of the Dao Venerable's plan...

Previously, Zheng Fa thought that Supreme Dao was a complete idiot, always getting beaten up.

Now I understand, I was truly foolish to underestimate the Dao Venerable.

This person, without making a sound or even showing his face, used Venerable Tianhe's sword to cut off Lu Mo's chance to achieve enlightenment; it was a truly decisive kill.

Thinking of this, Zheng Fa pressed further, "Venerable One, what exactly is the relationship between the Four Sects?"

The relationships between the Four Sects are incredibly complex, with each sect constantly trying to outmaneuver the other. They are only truly united when facing the Tianhe Sect.

Venerable Tianhe pondered for a moment, then remained silent.

Could there be some secret involved?

"I don't know much about the conflicts between the Four Sects," Venerable Tianhe said slowly. "There are some things I'm just speculating about. Whether they're right or wrong, you'll probably have to verify them yourself in the future. Don't be blind, or you'll easily get caught up in the situation and become a target of schemes."

Zheng Fa could certainly hear the good intentions in those words.

Judging from the actions of the Dao Venerable, the Four Sects should not be underestimated. We must be extremely careful, lest we make a mistake.

It's clear that Venerable Tianhe's words came from the bottom of his heart—his Tianhe Sect had been tricked and suffered terribly.

"In my view, the struggle among the Four Sects is actually a struggle among the Grand Luo."

"The battle for the Grand Luo?"

Previously, Zheng Fa had heard Venerable Tianhe say that the Grand Luo was the orthodox method of Xuanwei, the ultimate Dao Fruit.

But he wasn't quite clear on what the Grand Luo Contest was.

"After the Golden Immortal, one may become either Grand Unity or Grand Luo. Do you know the difference between Grand Unity and Grand Luo?"

Zheng Fa shook his head blankly.

"Grand Unity, Tai means supreme; Yi means the beginning of primordial energy," Venerable Tianhe explained.

Zheng Fa was a little confused.

Seeing his expression, Venerable Tianhe shook his head and said, "The so-called Grand Unity is the most fundamental component of the Heavenly Dao, the most basic Principle contained within Chaos."

That makes it much easier to understand.

Zheng Fa paused for a moment, then suddenly thought of something, "Innate Divine Ability?"

"You are teachable." Venerable Tianhe paused again before continuing, "In fact, before the Chaotic Law Era, there should have been powerful beings in existence. The innate Innate Divine Ability we have comprehended, and even those grotto-heavens, should all be related to that time."

Xuanwei has existed for five eras.

The Chaotic Law Era was the second; the events of the first era are basically unknown to anyone.

At this point, Venerable Tianhe shook his head again and sighed, "I only learned about these things when I had close ties with the Four Sects. It's a pity..."

Zheng Fa didn't know what to say.

"I don't know much about it either, and that's a bit of a tangent. Let's continue talking about Grand Unity and Grand Luo."

Zheng Fa nodded and listened.

"Therefore, Grand Unity Golden Immortal are cultivators who wield a fundamental Dao; they coexist with the Dao, and are even an integral part of the Heavenly Dao itself."

"What about Grand Luo?"

"Although the Grand Luo and the Grand Unity are not superior in terms of cultivation level, the Grand Luo governs the operation of the Heavenly Dao. Only when the Grand Luo is born can the Heavenly Dao be truly perfected."

Zheng Fa listened and pondered for a long time before finally figuring out the connection.

If we compare the Heavenly Dao to a living organism, then Grand Unity and Grand Luo are like various organs.

What makes Grand Luo special is that this thing is a brain, capable of directing the function of other organs.

The so-called orthodox lineage refers to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal, who is the one who coordinates and even governs all parts of the Heavenly Dao.

Seeing that Zheng Fa seemed to understand, Venerable Tianhe continued, "The conflict between the Four Sects, especially between Thunderclap Temple and Supreme Dao, lies precisely in this."

"A power struggle." Zheng Fa suddenly realized, "Even if Grand Unity is not afraid of Grand Luo, Grand Luo definitely has the upper hand in terms of lineage."

"That's right. The Four Sects, especially the Supreme Dao and Thunderclap Temple, have been locked in a Wuzhi struggle of open and covert conflict," Venerable Tianhe nodded. "I never expected that they would be able to set aside their past grievances when facing me."

Zheng Fa couldn't help but look at Venerable Tianhe.

What you just said seemed to have a deeper meaning.

Venerable Tianhe looked at Tianhe disciples and said softly, "Do you know why I'm waiting here with them?"

"Leave the Celestial River Method behind?"

"That's one point," Venerable Tianhe shook his head, then added, "But it's far more than that."

Zheng Fa became increasingly puzzled.

Do you know why I died?

"Have no idea."

This is also where Zheng Fa's doubts lie.

The Venerable Tianhe once Self-Slaying, incidentally injuring Lu Mo, and then died.

It sounds like they've been retaliated against by Lu Mo or the Four Sects.

But he didn't think so, since the Four Sects seemed to be confused as well, and were still wary of Venerable Tianhe's resurrection.

"Before I discovered Lu Mo's identity," Venerable Tianhe murmured, lost in thought, "the Four Sects had already secretly joined forces."

"They're even preparing to attack the Tianhe Sect."

"Lu Mo also covets the Tianhe Sect in order to seize the Book of Life and Death."

"I don't know whether the Four Sects and the Demonic Sect secretly joined forces at that time."

Zheng Fa felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

A joint effort is definitely possible, given Lu Mo's many identities: the Original Devil Ancestor and the Vast Sun First Ancestor. Secretly instigating the Four Sects to attack the Tianhe Sect would be a piece of cake.

The Venerable Tianhe's sword strike that cleaved the sun was incredibly precise—the entire Tianhe Upheaval is inextricably linked to this man.

He could even imagine how dangerous Venerable Tianhe's situation must have been at that time; he was truly surrounded by enemies.

"At that time, I was merely Golden Immortal. Although I possessed some skills, I could never possibly defeat the combined forces of the Four Sects and the Demonic Sect."

Venerable Tianhe's tone was somewhat somber.

"Moreover, if I am still alive, and the Celestial River Method is still in effect, they will never feel at ease."

Even after an entire era, Zheng Fa still felt depressed upon hearing Venerable Tianhe recount this past event. He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking to Venerable Tianhe:

"The Dao Fruit are originally one; if there were no external threats, they would naturally fight each other. But the Celestial River Method..."

They will absolutely not tolerate it.

In the Xuanwei Realm, the Dao Fruit is supreme, and other cultivators are powerless to resist it.

To put it bluntly, it's a power struggle, but this power ultimately revolves around the Dao Fruit.

These Dao Fruit are already a different species from those of cultivators and mortals.

But the Celestial River Method is quite different.

Although it was only a beginning, the performance of the Celestial River Method had already prompted the Four Sects and even the Devil Ancestor to join forces in an attempt to annihilate the Tianhe Sect.

This state was inevitable after the emergence of the Celestial River Method.

The Tianhe Upheaval was a predetermined outcome.

Even failure was inevitable for Venerable Tianhe.

I hid.

"..."

Venerable Tianhe spoke in a calm tone.

After his initial surprise, Zheng Fa was even more puzzled. "Why?"

"Refining Treasures."

"Refining treasures?"

"Together with them, refine treasures."

Zheng Fa looked blankly at the Tianhe disciples below, noticing that they all had smiles on their faces and seemed somewhat proud.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Venerable Tianhe laughed, and with a wave of his hand, a familiar compass appeared in his palm.

"This is?"

"The Reincarnation Disc."

"Reincarnation?"

Zheng Fa shifted, revealing his barely suppressed surprise.

"With just the Book of Life and Death, the Nine Nether cannot deal with the Four Sects," Venerable Tianhe chuckled. "I used my own Life-bound Spirit Treasure, Previous Epoch, to refine this treasure together with these disciples."

Zheng Fa looked at the compass.

"Life-bound Spirit Treasure? Isn't that... you, Venerable One?"

The Celestial River Method can cultivate a person into Artifact Spirit, therefore, Venerable Tianhe's Life-bound Spirit Treasure is practically his physical body.

"So I died."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa fell silent, feeling a deep sense of unease.

Venerable Tianhe, as if he hadn't seen it, smiled and said, "This item, combined with the Book of Life and Death of the Nine Nether, will forge the All-Heavens Reincarnation, possessing the power of Grand Unity."

"Grand Unity..."

Zheng Fa could already guess the purpose of this Reincarnation Disc.

"Once the All-Heavens Reincarnation is complete, all beings in the myriad Chaos realms will inevitably enter the Reincarnation after death!"

"Including the Dao Fruit?"

"Including the Dao Fruit."

Zheng Fa took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart.

Venerable Tianhe, after hundreds of thousands of years of planning and his sacrifice in refining the treasure, was momentarily speechless.

Killing Dao Fruit, this is actually not surprising.

The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor did the same.

But this depends on the Book of Life and Death.

The All-Heavens Reincarnation has a completely different meaning:

According to Venerable Tianhe's words, Dao Fruit will be unable to revive in the future!

If you are killed, you will die!

On a smaller scale, this could be considered Venerable Tianhe's most ruthless revenge against the Heavenly Dao.

But Zheng Fa would not underestimate the magnanimity of Venerable Tianhe.

The effects of retaliatory Dao Fruit are probably negligible in the All-Heavens Reincarnation.

The fact that Dao Fruit will die will completely change the landscape of Xuanwei:

For example, the cultivators from the Four Sects, no matter how much they fought before, actually had no deep-seated hatred for each other—after all, Dao Fruit don't die, and at worst they can come back another day, it's like playing house.

But what about the All-Heavens Reincarnation?

Can they still maintain this harmonious relationship?

Even if, in the future, the Nine Mountains Sect becomes the common enemy of the Four Sects and ends up in the same position as the Tianhe Sect did back then, can the Four Sects still be as united as they were when dealing with the Tianhe Sect?

The significance of this Reincarnation Disc cannot be overstated.

Venerable Tianhe touched the Reincarnation Disc, his gaze distant. "Only after my death will the Celestial River Method be born."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa closed his eyes.

He understood what Venerable Tianhe meant; this was the greatest and most profound meaning of the All-Heavens Reincarnation, and also Venerable Tianhe's ultimate goal:

Even if we take a step back and assume that the Four Sects have a very close relationship and can remain friendly for generations to come, the All-Heavens Reincarnation will still change the entire Xuanwei and the entire Immortal Way.

The Myriad Immortals Formation grants ordinary cultivators the power to contend against Dao Fruit.

However, this is unlikely to change the power balance between cultivators and those who have Dao Fruit.

After all, ordinary cultivators die and that's it, but Dao Fruit can be resurrected—this means that as long as Dao Fruit cultivators are willing to fight to the death, the Myriad Immortals Formation has absolutely no chance of winning.

But with the All-Heavens Reincarnation, everything will change:

A cultivator can truly kill Dao Fruit using the Myriad Immortals Formation!

When Zheng Fa first came into contact with the Dao Fruit, he heard several ironclad rules:

Firstly, cultivators cannot betray their own lineage.

Thus, the Celestial River Method became decentralized.

Secondly, only the Dao Fruit can contend with the Dao Fruit.

The Myriad Immortals Formation bestows power upon ordinary cultivators, enabling them to contend with Dao Fruit.

Later, he learned of the ironclad rule that the Dao Fruit is immortal, a rule that has now been shattered by a single punch from the All-Heavens Reincarnation.

Venerable Tianhe completely overturned the three ironclad rules.

When Venerable Tianhe Self-Slaying, I was at my wit's end, and all my achievements were about to turn to dust.

If this were a game of chess, he had truly reached a dead end, with almost no chance of turning the tide.

But this venerable one, at the cost of his own life, forcefully opened a path forward for the Celestial River Method.

Or rather, he completely changed the rules of the Xuanwei Chess Game—for the first time in several eras and millions of years, cultivators and mortals below the Dao Fruit were qualified to play the game.